The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) has launched a new research endeavor aimed at developing more accessible mobility solutions for the U.S. transportation industry.
[Above photo by Penn]
The new Richards Transportation Initiative at Penn or “R-TRIP,” which officially opens its doors on October 16, will be led by Leslie Richards – the former secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and general manager of Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority or SEPTA – and Megan Ryerson, professor and chair of the Department of City and Regional Planning at Penn’s Stuart Weitzman School of Design.
Richards – now a fellow at Penn’s Institute for Urban Research and a professor at the Weitzman School as well – said R-TRIP seeks to bring together the “leading minds” from academia, government, and industry to help solve some of what she describes as the “complex realities” of modern transportation systems.
“R-TRIP is built on the idea that great research should move quickly into action,” said Richards in a statement. “We’re creating a platform where public agencies, private partners and academic leaders can work together to develop and implement smart, scalable solutions that accelerate innovation across the transportation sector.”
R-TRIP anticipates launching a series of pilot projects in collaboration with public and private partners, with an emphasis on:
- Leveraging artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to improve safety and operational efficiency;
- Exploring smart infrastructure that adapts to user behavior and demand;
- Advancing mobility data platforms that support informed planning and investment; and
- Supporting infrastructure that is resilient and adaptable to future conditions.
Whether reimagining how people move through regions or integrating emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and advanced analytics into decision-making, Richards said R-TRIP will be focused on “practical impact and measurable progress” that cities, regions, and states can use.
Projects will be co-developed with input from public agencies and private sponsors and guided by interdisciplinary teams of Penn faculty, students and transportation leaders and R-TRIP noted that its Public Sector Advisory Committee includes chief executives from major transportation agencies across the country.
That includes several state departments of transportation as well: the California State Transportation Agency, the Georgia Department of Transportation, and the Utah Department of Transportation, among others.
“The Richards Transportation Initiative is exactly the kind of forward-looking collaboration our nation’s transportation systems need,” explained Garrett Eucalitto, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Transportation and president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
“Initiatives like this strengthen the ability of agencies to work across functions to improve mobility, accelerate electrification, and think beyond standard practices to better serve their communities,” he added.
These efforts aim to produce measurable public benefits, such as reduced congestion, increased safety, and broader access to opportunity, through solutions that can scale across diverse environments.
“We constantly ask how we can make travel safer, faster, and more responsive across Pennsylvania and beyond,” added Michael Carroll, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. “The Initiative’s applied research model gives us a powerful new tool to inform real-world planning and investment.”
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